Black, Black Heart
by sofia313
Summary: Lucien wants his vengeance by any means necessary. His former sire once took what he held most dear, so why not return the favor?
1. Chapter 1

**This sets in season 3 after Lucien took the serum. I changed Hope's age a little, she's 5 in this. Warning, there will be some difficult themes in the story, including a very complex and somewhat abusive mother/child relationship. Don't read if you're sensitive.  
**

* * *

 _Somewhere over the rainbow_ _  
_ _Way up high_ _  
_ _And the dreams that you dreamed of_ _  
_ _Once in a lullaby_ _…_

The pink IPod was playing Hope's favorite song; she hummed while placing the little teacups on the small table. She was having a tea party with her dolls and plush toys. Her Aunt Freya had also promised to come and play with her after finishing something important in the living room. Just like Hope's parents and her uncles, Aunt Freya often had important things to do. No one ever spoke about those things to Hope, but she wasn't stupid. She was already 5-years-old and she could understand much more than anyone knew.

Her parents always tried to be nice to each other in front of her, but she had seen and heard them fighting. About her. Her whole family wanted to keep her safe, that was why they fought. It made her feel bad and she had tried her best to fix things by being as good girl as she could. But as hard as she tried, she could never be good enough. She couldn't make the pain in her daddy's eyes to go away. He always said that she was the most precious thing in the world to him, but still he often looked sad and tired. All Hope wanted was her family to be happy.

 _Someday I'll wish upon a star_ _  
_ _Wake up where the clouds are far behind me_ _  
Where trouble melts like lemon drops  
High above the chimney tops  
That's where you'll find me_ _…_

Sometimes she hoped that she would have friends to play with, but she didn't complain about her loneliness. Everyone kept saying that they only thought what was best for her; they all wanted to keep her safe. She was a special girl. The truth was that she didn't want to be special; she wanted to be like everyone else. She wanted to go outside and play with the other children.

Her daddy had once taken her to a playground, but that hadn't ended well when couple of older boys had tried to pick on Hope. Her daddy had completely lost it and roughly grabbed one of the boys by the collar of his shirt, threatening to break his bones. The boy's mom had screamed, but daddy hadn't let the boy go before Hope had begged him to. She knew how much her daddy loved her and she loved him, but sometimes she felt that she was causing the pain in his eyes. She was doing something wrong.

 _Oh, somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly  
And the dream that you dare to,  
Oh why, oh why can't I?_

Hope picked up the little teapot and poured the invisible tea to all her guests. She was so immersed in her activities that she startled when she heard something. Someone was screaming.

" _No! Stay away from her!_

Quickly she stood up and ran to the door.

"Aunt Freya?" she called when she opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. The whole house was quiet now.

"Aunt Freya?"

Hope gasped when someone was suddenly standing in front of her. A man with dark brown hair and brown eyes, he was smiling at her.

"Hello there," he said. "I'm sorry if I scared you."

"That's okay," Hope replied and looked at the man's face. For a moment she thought that he looked like an angel.

"You must be Hope," he continued and got down on one knee. "I'm Lucien, a friend of your father's."

Uncle Elijah had always stressed Hope the importance of good manners, so she held out her hand.

"It's nice to meet you, sir."

The man looked a little surprised, but he took her hand and shook it.

"The pleasure is all mine, little lady." He paused and observed her for a brief moment before continuing. "You have your father's eyes."

Hope nodded, although she picked up something strange in the man's tone of voice.

"Daddy says so too."

"Hmm. The thing is that your daddy sent me here to look after you."

"Why?" Hope asked. "Where's Aunt Freya?"

"She had to leave urgently, your daddy needed her help. She told me to keep you safe; you need to come with me."

Hope shook her head.

"Daddy has told me never to leave here without him, mommy, Uncle Elijah, Uncle Kol or Aunt Freya."

The man smiled.

"Well, I'm sort of like your uncle too or perhaps more like your brother."

Hope's eyes widened.

"My brother?"

He nodded.

"Yes, your daddy made me what I am, so I guess that makes us family. Your daddy wouldn't have sent me here if he wouldn't trust me." He paused and smiled. "You can trust me too, darling."

"Are you taking me to daddy?" she asked.

"Not yet," he replied. "I'm taking you to a safe place because I know how much your daddy loves you. He would just…die if anything would happen to his princess."

Hope bit her bottom lip.

"I don't want him to worry about me."

"Let's go then," Lucien said and stood up.

Hope looked into his eyes and saw something very dark. That didn't scare her; she had seen the same darkness before in her father's eyes. And Uncle Elijah's. And Uncle Kol's. She didn't hesitate to take Lucien's hand. Unlike most children, Hope had never been afraid of the dark. Why would she when it had always been a part of her life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Gone. Hope was gone. No… This couldn't be happening… Klaus stood in the middle of Hope's room and squished his phone.

" _The number you have dialed cannot be reached…"_

Freya was gone too. Something had happened, Klaus was sure of it. Freya would never leave with Hope like this without informing Klaus.

"Niklaus?" Elijah's voice said from the door.

"Did you find anything?" Klaus murmured.

Elijah looked very serious.

"No, I didn't."

"Neither did I," Kol added while appearing next to Elijah. "There's no trace of either of them."

"We need to call Hayley," Elijah stated.

Klaus didn't say anything, he couldn't. Hope was gone. Someone had taken his little girl. If anything would happen to her… He couldn't even think about that. Hope was a sweet, innocent child, the light of Klaus' life. The only person who had ever loved him unconditionally. His daughter. He would have died thousands of deaths for her. He would have taken thousands of lives for her. He needed to find her, no matter what it would take. A plan… He needed to calm down and formulate a plan. He didn't have time to even start when his phone rang. Unknown caller.

"Freya?" he picked up quickly.

" _No, sorry, it's just me,"_ Lucien's cheerful voice said.

Klaus froze. No…

" _So, how are you?"_ Lucien inquired politely.

"You…" Klaus snarled.

" _Yes, me. I'm guessing that you've noticed my little visit by now. I must say that you have a lovely daughter."_

Klaus felt like his blood would have turned into ice.

"If you have harmed a hair on her head…"

" _Now, now, what kind of a man do you take me for? Your princess and your sister are just fine. For now."_

"What do you want, Lucien?" Klaus heard himself asking.

" _Well, I'm glad you asked. What Aurora and I want to know is the whereabouts of Tristan."_

Klaus looked at his brothers; he knew they had heard every word. Elijah shook his head tensely. He didn't know Tristan's location, none of them did. Elijah had compelled couple of humans to sink the box in the sea.

" _I'm waiting,"_ Lucien said after a brief silence.

"I don't have that information."

" _Then I suggest you get it. Right now the little lady is with me and Aurora is keeping your sister company. I doubt that you want Aurora to do the babysitting. She can be quite…impulsive, as you know."_

"I swear I'll make you pay for this…" Klaus snarled threateningly.

" _Careful, Nik. It's hardly wise to threaten someone who is holding your daughter's life in his hands. Besides, we both know there's nothing you can do to me. I'm your superior now in every way. One bite and you're dead."_

"Your quarrel is with me," Klaus hissed through clenched teeth. "My daughter is just a child; she has nothing to do with this. Let me take her place."

" _Hmm, I don't think so. She's much better company than you."_

"I want to speak to her."

" _Sure, why not. But try not to scare the poor thing, there's no need for her to know all the details. Hope, darling! Could you come here, please!"_

Klaus gritted his teeth and struggled to keep himself together.

" _Your daddy's calling. Okay, you're on speaker, Nik."_

" _Daddy?"_ Hope's voice said.

Klaus felt a sting in his heart and swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Hi, sweetheart," he managed to say. "Are you alright?"

" _Yes, daddy, I'm fine. How about you? Mr. Lucien said that you have important things to do and I have to wait for you here."_

Klaus had to use all his willpower to keep his voice calm.

"Has Mr. Lucien been nice to you?"

" _Yes. He bought me ice cream and a Winnie the Pooh sketchpad. I'm going to draw something for you and mommy."_

Klaus closed his eyes and clenched his fists.

"That's very kind of you, sweetheart, thank you."

" _I'm afraid your daddy has to go now, darling_ ," Lucien said. _"How about you go and start drawing him something?"_

" _Okay. Bye, daddy, I love you."_

"I love you too, sweetheart."

" _Alright,"_ Lucien said after a moment of silence. _"As you heard she's safe and sound. If you want her to remain so, you will get me the information I want."_

"You mean what Aurora wants," Klaus replied. "Come on, you can't stand Tristan."

" _True, but you will still tell me where he is."_

"Oh, Lucien… After all that trouble of becoming what you are, you still remain a servant."

" _And you still remain as arrogant as ever,"_ Lucien snorted. _"Get me Tristan's location or I'll be forced to do some quite unpleasant things. And don't bother barging into the penthouse, I'm not there. I brought your princess to a place where no locating spell can find her, so don't waste your time on that. I'll be in touch."_

Klaus didn't have time to say anything when Lucien hung up.

"We need a witch," Klaus murmured and looked at Kol. "A powerful witch."

Kol pressed his lips together.

"I'm not sure if Davina…" he started, but Klaus zoomed in front of him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"My daughter's life is at stake!" he snarled. "You will make your little witch to help us or I'll…"

"Niklaus," Elijah cut in harshly. "We are all worried about Hope, but that is not helping anyone." He paused and glanced at Kol. "Do you think you could convince Davina to help us?"

"I can try," Kol replied tensely. "She's not a big fan of Nik's, but she might do that for Hope."

"She better," Klaus hissed and let go of Kol. "And…" he added and glanced at Elijah. "We need to find Tristan."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Lucien was standing in the doorway silently observing Hope who was lying on her stomach on the floor, swinging her legs back and forth. She was completely concentrated on drawing; she had been for a while now. Apparently she was an artist like her dear old daddy. How sweet. When Lucien looked at her, he found it very hard to believe that she was actually Nik's daughter. Well, she did have his eyes, but other than that she was nothing like him. Or like her mother. But then again, she was still very young. Very innocent.

That made her a perfect weapon against Nik. There was no doubt that he would do anything to get her back. Lucien smiled when he thought about it. This would be a perfect revenge. Taking what Nik held most dear. After all, it was only fair. An eye for an eye. Even though Aurora was with Lucien now, it didn't undo what Nik had done.

Not to mention Lucien knew that a part of Aurora's heart would always belong to Nik. She would never belong only to Lucien. That was something Lucien had never forgiven Nik and he never would. Oh well, Nik was about to pay for his betrayal. Suddenly Hope stopped drawing and looked up, apparently sensing Lucien's presence.

"Hi, Mr. Lucien," she said. "Is something wrong?"

He smiled and shook his head.

"No, darling, everything is fine. I just wanted to ask if you need anything."

She hesitated for a brief moment before replying.

"I could eat something if that's not too much trouble?"

The fact that she might be hungry hadn't even crossed his mind. He had never really spent any time with children and he didn't know much about them. She seemed like a smart child and he suspected that in her home she could have found something to eat by herself, but now she was in a strange place and she didn't really know him. Yet she hadn't been scared or nervous, apparently she was quite adaptable. Right now she was patiently waiting for her father or someone else to pick her up and take her home. Unfortunately that wasn't going to happen.

"It's no trouble at all," he assured. "I apologize for not offering you anything to eat."

"That's okay," she replied and got up.

"Alright, let's see what we can find you."

She smiled and followed him to the kitchen. The old mansion where he was keeping her was one of the few properties he had purchased after arriving to New Orleans. What made this particular property so special was the ancient spell that was protecting it. Nothing could get in or out if Lucien didn't allow that. And nothing and no one in here could be tracked by using magic. No doubt Nik would still try, but he would soon enough realize that he had no choice but to give in to Lucien's demands.

"Let's see…" Lucien said and opened the fridge. "What do you usually eat?"

Hope shrugged.

"Whatever Mrs. Danvers makes me."

Lucien raised an eyebrow.

"Mrs. Danvers?"

"She's a chef," Hope explained. "She works in my home."

"Ah, I see. I suppose your family doesn't cook?"

Hope shook her head.

"No, they don't have time. Daddy tried once to make me an omelet, but it tasted very strange. I still ate it."

"Why?"

Hope was clearly surprised by his question, like the answer was supposed to be obvious.

"I didn't want to hurt his feelings."

The corners of Lucien's mouth were twitching; she honestly couldn't be Nik's daughter.

"Well… That's nice."

"He tried his best," Hope defended her father; her tone of voice was firm.

"Yes, I'm sure he did."

She really loved her father. It would be interesting to see how long she would hold on to that love. He turned back to the fridge.

"So… How does a sandwich sounds to you?"

"Good," she replied.

Lucien didn't cook either, he had staff for that. He could however make a sandwich.

"Do you need some help?" Hope asked.

"No, I think I can manage, but thank you for asking, darling."

"You're welcome."

Lucien smiled and told her to take a seat. The house had a large dining room, but the small table in the kitchen was enough for the two of them.

"You have a very nice home, Mr. Lucien," Hope said after sitting at the table.

"Thank you," Lucien replied while slicing a tomato.

"Do you live here alone?"

"Kind of. It's complicated, darling."

"Do you have a girlfriend? Or a boyfriend?"

Lucien was definitely amused.

"I have a girlfriend."

"Oh. What's her name?"

"Aurora."

"That's a very pretty name," Hope replied.

"Yes, it is. She's a very beautiful woman."

"Is she nice to you?"

Lucien turned to look at her.

"What? Why do you ask?"

Hope shrugged.

"I think you deserve a nice girlfriend."

He frowned.

"Why do you think that?"

She looked at him and tilted her head.

"Because you're a nice man, Mr. Lucien. I like you."

It took a moment before he managed to reply.

"Thank you, that's…nice."

A nice man? Hardly. If she would have any idea what he was planning to do… He cleared his throat and brought the sandwich to her.

"Thank you," she said smiling.

"You're welcome. What do you drink?"

"Do you have milk?"

"Yes, I think so."

He poured her a glass of milk and placed it in front of her. She thanked him again and concentrated on the sandwich, apparently she really was hungry. Lucien poured himself a drink and sat down opposite her. It wasn't difficult to see why she was so important to her father. Too bad Nik would never see her again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Klaus gritted his teeth and struggled to stay calm while impatiently observing Davina and Vincent. They were sitting on the floor inside a circle holding hands and chanting. They had Hope's hairbrush, her favorite plush toy; a wolf called Winston, her nightie and one of her drawings. Kol and Camille were standing next to Klaus, Elijah and Hayley had gone to track down the humans who had sank Tristan in the sea. Of course Hayley had first blamed Klaus on everything and swore that she would kill him if anything would happen to Hope. There was no need to tell Klaus this was all his fault, he was well aware of that. If he would have only killed Lucien when he had a chance…

"Well?" Klaus asked as soon as Davina and Vincent stopped chanting.

Davina sighed tiredly and shook her head.

"There's no trace of her. Nothing."

"How is that possible?" Klaus snapped. "Try again."

"We have tried again," Vincent pointed out. "And again. We can't find her."

"Then get me a real witch who can!" Klaus shouted. Furiously he grabbed a coffee table and threw it against the wall. "You two are nothing but useless!"

Davina's eyebrows furrowed and she pressed her lips together. Kol walked over to her and helped her up.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help," she said quietly. "The magic that is preventing us from finding her seems to be very powerful."

"I understand," Kol replied. "We'll find another way."

Klaus was too furious to speak; he turned around and stormed out. No more than a second later he was in Hope's room. It seemed that she had been in the middle of a tea party; her plush toys were still sitting at the small table with the little teacups placed in front of them. Klaus stared at the toys for a moment before walking over to Hope's bed. There were more plush toys on the bed, Hope really loved them. She had named them all and she had told Klaus that they were her friends. Klaus swallowed and looked at her drawings on the wall. His eye stopped on one of them. A man and a little girl holding hands.

MY DAD-DY AND ME

Klaus' hands started to shake and tears were filling his eyes. Hope… His precious little girl. If anything would happen to her… Klaus had never felt so helpless in his life and he truly hated it. He heard someone entering the room and knew that it was Camille. Thankfully she didn't say anything, she simply touched his shoulder. He didn't say anything either, he needed a moment to pull himself together. His daughter needed him and there was no chance he would let her down.

* * *

"Alright," Lucien said as he pulled the bedcover and neatly placed it on the armchair next to the bed. "Time to go to sleep."

Hope bit her bottom lip and hesitated, although she was clearly tired. She was wearing Aurora's shirt. It was way too big for her, but it would have to do for tonight. Lucien hadn't really thought about all the little details, like getting her clothes and other things.

"Can I call mommy and daddy?" Hope asked.

"Not right now, darling," Lucien replied. "I told you they are very busy."

"Uh huh, but I want to say good night. And maybe they could bring Winston?"

"Who is Winston?"

"My best friend," Hope replied. "He's a wolf."

Lucien raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, I'm going to guess that Winston is some kind of toy?"

Hope nodded.

"He always sleeps next to me."

Oh great…

"I'm sorry, darling, but I can't get Winston here right now. Do you think you could try to sleep without him?"

Hope's lower lip trembled, but she nodded.

"Can I call mommy and daddy?"

"Darling, I just told you that they are busy. They will call you when they have time."

Hope looked sad, but she nodded again.

"Alright, up you go," Lucien said and patted the bed. He pulled the sheets back as she climbed into bed and made herself comfortable.

"Can you read me a story, Mr. Lucien?" she asked.

"A story? I'm sorry, but I don't have any storybooks."

He really should have made some kind of preparations beforehand. Oh well, he would have someone to go shopping tomorrow.

"But I can tell you a story," he added. "Do you want to hear it?"

Hope nodded eagerly.

"Yes, please."

"Alright then."

Lucien smiled while sitting on the armchair.

"Once upon a time there was a kingdom ruled by an evil Count. He was very mean and cruel to his subjects, the whole kingdom feared him. Everyone except one brave servant. You see, the Count had two children, a son who was just as cruel as his father and a daughter who was nothing like them. She was kind and gentle. The most beautiful woman in the kingdom. The servant was madly in love with her."

"Did she love him too?" Hope asked.

"Yes, she did, but then something happened. One day the servant met five strange creatures, four men and a woman. They were siblings who looked like humans, but they weren't."

"What were they?"

"The servant didn't know, but he took them to the Count's castle. Everyone thought that they were humans and they stayed in the castle for months. One of these creatures became the servant's friend and the servant trusted him. That was a big mistake."

"Why?" Hope asked. She seemed very curious.

"Because the creature betrayed the servant. He knew how much the servant loved the Count's daughter but he decided that he wanted her for himself."

"That's mean," Hope commented.

Lucien smiled.

"Yes, it most certainly was."

"What happened then?"

"Well… The creature's plan worked and he managed to deceive the Count's daughter. But the servant was ready to fight for her, save her from the creature. The servant saw that the creature didn't really want the Count's daughter, he only wanted to toy with her."

"Did the servant save her?"

Lucien nodded.

"Yes, he did. And they lived happily ever after."

Hope yawned and blinked sleepily, she really was tired. She took one of the cushions and wrapped her arms around it. Lucien didn't have to wait for long when she was asleep. He looked at her for a moment before heading to the door. He barely reached the hallway when Aurora appeared in front of him.

"Hello, darling," he said smiling. "Did you have fun with the witch?"

"No," Aurora pouted. "She has been unconscious the whole time. Isn't that just rude?"

"It most certainly is."

Aurora glanced at the door behind Lucien's back.

"Is she in there?"

Lucien nodded.

"Yes."

"I want to see her."

"Sure, but she's sleeping right now…"

"It doesn't matter. Please show her to me."

"Of course."

Carefully Lucien opened the door; he didn't want to wake Hope up. Aurora didn't enter the room; she simply stood in the doorway and stared at Hope.

"Oh, my love… She's perfect. Our daughter." She paused and smiled at Lucien. "I'm a mother."

Lucien took Aurora's hand and kissed it.

"Yes, you are, darling."

She giggled and kissed his cheek.

"You will be a wonderful father, my love. And Tristan will be a wonderful uncle; I can't wait to tell him."

Aurora took Lucien's hand and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I have beautiful dresses for her and I want to plait her hair. She will look so adorable, like a little doll."

"Yes… You know you need to give her some time to adjust, darling. I was thinking that perhaps she should get used to me first."

"Really? Are you trying to make her daddy's girl?"

"No, no, I just thought…"

"I was kidding, my love," Aurora giggled. "I think you are right. I couldn't enjoy this thoughtful gift of yours before Tristan is with us."

"He will be soon," Lucien assured.

Aurora smiled at him and kissed his lips.

"I'm so excited, my love. This is going to be a lot of fun."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

France, 1 year later

"Where's my little doll? Come to mommy!"

Hope tiptoed across the hallway as silently as she could. It was still early and she was wearing a nightgown. Her heart was pounding; she knew that she wouldn't be able to hide for long. Aurora wasn't going to give up. Maybe if she would manage to hide until Lucien would come home… Aurora listened to him. At least sometimes. Hope sneaked into the library and startled as she noticed Tristan. He was sitting on the armchair having a drink; he looked up when he heard her entering the room.

"Hi, Uncle Tristan," Hope greeted him timidly. He had never hurt her, but she was scared of him. The way that he often looked at her scared her. She had once asked Lucien had she done something to anger Tristan. Lucien had said that Tristan was simply boring; Hope shouldn't pay attention to him.

His cold eyes glanced at her carelessly before he turned them back to his drink. He spent a lot of time by himself and Hope knew that he had bad dreams; she had sometimes heard him shouting and coughing in his sleep. Aurora had said that bad people had hurt him very badly and he still hadn't recovered from it. That was why they had come to France; Aurora had wanted to bring Tristan home. Hope felt bad for him, but she also feared him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I…"

She couldn't tell him that she was trying to hide from Aurora. He wouldn't understand, not like Lucien.

"I'm sorry, I…"

"There you are!" Aurora's voice said from behind Hope's back.

Hope flinched and turned around as quickly as she could.

"Now, what I have told you about bothering your uncle?" Aurora scolded.

"I'm sorry," Hope murmured.

Aurora's eyebrows furrowed dangerously.

"Mommy," Hope added quickly. "I'm sorry, mommy."

Aurora's lips curved into a smile before she scooped her up.

"That's a good doll. Give mommy a kiss."

Hope kissed her cheek; she knew how important it was to keep Aurora happy. She had learned that quickly.

"Would your uncle like a kiss too?"

Hope shivered as Aurora carried her to Tristan. He didn't say anything when Aurora made Hope to kiss his cheek.

"Would you like to hold her, brother?" Aurora asked. "I find that quite soothing."

"No, thank you, sister," Tristan replied.

"Alright," Aurora said cheerfully and kissed Tristan's cheek before carrying Hope to the door. "Let me know if you change your mind. My little darling just loves her uncle, don't you?"

"Yes, mommy," Hope replied quietly.

Aurora hummed while carrying Hope to her room, right now she seemed to be in a good mood. Hope knew better than well how quickly that could change. She was always vigilant when she was with Aurora. With Lucien she didn't have to be, he was always nice to her.

"Now let's see…" Aurora hummed.

Hope knew better than to argue when Aurora chose a ruffle dress for her, lifted Hope onto her lap and started to brush her hair. Thankfully she wasn't rough when she was in a good mood. The dresses Hope had to wear didn't feel nice and she didn't like them, but she didn't complain. She knew better. She needed to keep Aurora happy. Sometimes she couldn't do that, no matter how hard she tried.

Being alone with Aurora was often scary. Sometimes she said things Hope couldn't understand. Strange and scary things. Lucien had explained to Hope that Aurora was "a little silly" sometimes. Hope had to call Aurora mommy and Lucien daddy. They weren't her mommy and daddy, but she could never say that out loud. Aurora would be very angry.

Lucien didn't mind if she didn't call him daddy when she was alone with him, but she needed to make sure that she did when Aurora was with them. Hope remembered her real mommy and daddy, but she couldn't talk about them to anyone, not even to Lucien. She remembered crying for days after Lucien had told her that her mommy and daddy were gone. Her whole family was gone.

She had a new family now and she knew she should be grateful, but she still missed her mommy, her daddy, Uncle Elijah, Uncle Kol, Aunt Freya, Aunt Bekah, Uncle Marcel, Aunt Davina and Aunt Camille. A tear rolled down Hope's cheek. Aurora noticed and stopped brushing her hair.

"What is wrong, darling? Talk to mommy."

"You're not my mommy!" Hope shouted, she couldn't stop herself.

Aurora froze, her face went blank.

"I-I-I'm sorry…" Hope tried, but it was already too late.

"You ungrateful, spoiled little brat," Aurora hissed. "After everything I have done for you, nursed you, clothed you, loved you…"

"I'm sorry, mommy," Hope pleaded desperately and tried to wrap her arms around Aurora, but she shoved her roughly on the floor.

"I will teach you manners…"

"Darling," Lucien's voice said from the door. "What is going on here?"

Hope was so relieved to see him that she almost let out a sob. She wanted nothing more than to run to him and hide behind his back, but she knew that would make Aurora angrier. Aurora stood up and glared at Hope.

"Our spoiled little princess just told me that I'm not her mommy."

Lucien raised an eyebrow and looked at Hope.

"Now why would you say a thing like that, muffin?"

Hope lowered her head.

"I'm sorry, daddy. I didn't mean to hurt mommy's feelings."

"You still did," Aurora stated coolly.

Hope looked at her and blinked her eyes.

"I'm sorry, mommy. I love you."

"Hmm," Aurora huffed, but she tapped Hope's head.

"Come on, darling," Lucien said. "I brought you some breakfast. Has Hope eaten already?"

"No, but I think she won't have breakfast this morning," Aurora stated. "She needs to learn manners and it's our duty to teach her."

"Yes, you're right, darling."

Lucien zoomed in front of Hope as soon as Aurora had marched out.

"I'll bring you some pancakes and ice cream later," he whispered and winked at Hope before following Aurora.

Hope smiled, Lucien was nice. Almost like her daddy.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you for all the feedback. As you can tell by now, the story will be AU, it won't follow TO storyline. There are going to be some difficult themes in the story, including a very complex mother/child relationship. Just a warning in case that upsets someone.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

 _New Orleans, 1 year earlier_

 _Camille, Marcel, Vincent and Davina were silently standing next to six bunk beds. Klaus, Elijah, Hayley, Kol, Rebekah and Freya. They were all in a deep sleep, thanks to Freya's spell. Everything had gone terribly wrong, they had all been bitten by Lucien and Aurora, but thanks to the spell, they were alive. Linked to each other and to Davina who had helped Freya to cast the spell. Davina's eyes were on Kol, Camille knew that she would do anything to keep his body safe._

 _"Cami," Marcel finally broke the silence. "I'll look after them, you know that."_

 _"Yeah."_

 _Her heart ached as she looked at Klaus. She knew there was a possibility he would never wake up, but she didn't want to think about that. And when he would wake up, how would he be able to deal with the loss of a child? How would they all be able to deal with it? Poor Hope… Obviously Camille had known that Lucien was a monster, but she would have never thought that he could kill an innocent child._

 _That had been how Aurora had made Hope's family to forget all about their well thought plan, by showing Hope's bloody shirt and proudly announcing that she was dead. Klaus and Hayley had attacked her in a blind rage; making it easy for Aurora to bit them both while Lucien had bit Elijah and Kol. Somehow they had also found Rebekah's daggered body and bit her as well after breaking all the sire lines._

 _It hadn't mattered that they had got Tristan back, Camille doubted that Lucien had ever planned to simply leave town peacefully after that. Marcel wrapped his arm around Davina who leaned her head on his shoulder._

 _"It's okay, little D," Marcel murmured._

 _Vincent took Camille's hand and squished it reassuringly, she was grateful for his gesture. It was up to four of them to keep Klaus and his family safe until they would wake up. They would wake up, Camille was sure of it. She needed to believe that._

* * *

Hope couldn't sleep. She stared at the ceiling and hugged her teddy bear. It had been a gift from Aurora and she hadn't named it, but it still offered her comfort. She had many toys; most of them antique porcelain dolls and ragdolls. Aurora had said that she didn't like modern plastic toys, she thought they were ugly. She had told Hope how modest her dolls had been when she had been a child.

Today had been a good day; Aurora had laughed and danced with Hope. They had even watched a movie together, The Little Mermaid. Hope had liked it, but the sea witch had scared her. She was still scared and she wouldn't have wanted to be alone. If only she could go to Lucien… She couldn't, he and Aurora had gone out. Tristan was here, but Hope certainly didn't want to go to him.

She was thirsty, so she decided to go to the kitchen and get a glass of water. The house where they were living was huge; it had many rooms and hallways. Hope held her bear while silently walking across the hallway towards the kitchen. She froze when she suddenly heard someone screaming. It was Tristan; he was having a bad dream. Hope hesitated; she wasn't sure what to do.

He sounded like he was in pain. Hope felt that she needed to help him, even though she was often scared of him. There wasn't anyone else here to help him. She swallowed and headed to his room. The door was closed, but not locked. Carefully Hope pushed the door open and saw Tristan lying on his bed. His body was juddering and he was still screaming. Hope was scared, but she forced herself to approach the bed.

"Un-uncle Tristan? Please wake up."

She called his name few times, but he didn't wake up. Finally she climbed onto the bed in order to shake him. That was a big mistake. She barely managed to touch him when his eyes flew open and his fangs came out. Hope screamed in terror when he grabbed her and threw her on the bed.

"Brother!" Aurora's voice shouted. No more than a second later she was on the bed, wrapping her arms around Tristan.

"Brother, it's alright! It's alright!"

Tristan blinked few times before his face went blank. Aurora stroked his back calmingly and glanced at Hope who was too scared to move.

"What did you think you were doing?" Aurora snapped. "Mommy is very mad at you right now."

Hope didn't have time to say anything when Lucien scooped her up.

"I got this, darling," he said. "You look after your brother."

Aurora smiled at him.

"Thank you, my love."

Hope was shaking, but she wrapped her arms around Lucien's neck as tightly as she could. She had no intention to let go.

"It's alright, muffin," he said as soon as they were in the hallway.

She let out a sob and buried her face in his shoulder. He carried her back to her room and tried to lay her on the bed, but she refused to let go of him.

"Hope…"

"Don't go, daddy," she sobbed. "Please don't go."

"Alright…" he murmured and sat down on the bed, placing her on his lap. "There, there…"

Slowly she raised her head and looked at him.

"Can you stay with me? Please?"

He smiled and tapped her head.

"Sure, muffin."

She sighed tiredly and allowed him to lay her down. As soon as he lied down beside her, she curled up against him. He smelled nice and his shirt felt very soft against her cheek.

"Can you tell mommy that I'm sorry?" she asked quietly. "I didn't mean…"

"It's alright, I'll talk to mommy," he said.

She nodded gratefully, her body was finally relaxing. She felt that everything was alright.

"Thank you, daddy."


	7. Chapter 7

**Again, thank you for all the feedback. As I already mentioned, there are some difficult themes in this story. And yes, Hope will be eventually reunited with Klaus.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

Few days later

Lucien looked at the drawing Hope had given to him. It was a picture of him surrounded by colorful hearts.

MY DADDY

He wasn't sure how long he had looked at it and he couldn't really identify what he was feeling. Sure he had become fond of the girl, he couldn't deny that, but that had never really been his intention. He had only taken her because Aurora had wanted that. A perfect way to make Nik and all the Mikaelsons suffer. And now they were all dead. End of story.

Lucien felt no regret for that, in his mind they had deserved what they had got. If things would have been other way around, they would have no doubt killed him and Aurora without hesitation. Lucien had never tried to hide the fact that he was ruthless and vicious, but at least he wasn't hypocrite. He didn't feel compassion or sympathy.

His feelings for Aurora were a much more complex matter, but he really shouldn't have cared what happened to Nik's daughter. Yet in some strange way he did. The fact that the girl trusted him and felt safe with him… He wasn't really sure what he thought about that. After they had left New Orleans, Lucien had thought that Aurora would get bored with the whole "playing house" thing, but she hadn't.

She had told Lucien that she had always dreamt of having a daughter. She wanted the four of them to be a family. Sadly Lucien had never really been able to deny anything from her. Of course he knew that she wasn't always very stable, but that had never bothered him. Things had gone fine so far. More or less. The girl was fine and he would look after her when that would be necessary. He was actually the most stable adult in her life… The thought was so absurd that he almost laughed before looking at the drawing again.

MY DADDY

He bit his bottom lip; he still couldn't identify what the drawing made him feel.

* * *

6 months later

Hope concentrated as hard as she could, but she was nervous. Uncle Tristan wasn't a very patient teacher. He was sitting on the armchair behind her, listening to her playing the piano.

"Again," he stated after she was finished. "I picked up at least four mistakes."

She played again, concentrating even harder. She wanted to make him proud and maybe even earn a kind word from him. Finally he was satisfied.

"That was tolerable."

Hope stood up and smiled at him, he was looking at his drink.

"Thank you for the lesson."

"Hmm," he replied carelessly.

Hope knew how much Aurora loved Tristan, so she tried her best to please him. It was important to Aurora. Hope hesitated for a brief moment before approaching the armchair. Tristan didn't say anything when she climbed onto the armrest and kissed his cheek.

"I love you, Uncle Tristan."

He didn't look at her, but he patted her head. That was a lot coming from him, he didn't usually touch her. Hope was very happy, she had been good.

"Go to your mother."

Hope was smiling as she went to look for Aurora. They were supposed to have a tea party after Hope's piano lesson. Aurora had been in a good mood for few days and Hope had enjoyed every moment. They had done all kinds of nice things together. Aurora had taught Hope history, picked flowers with her in the garden and told her about constellations when they had staid up the whole night. Aurora had even made Lucien to play hide and seek with them, it had been a lot of fun.

"Mommy?" Hope called.

Aurora and Lucien had been out the whole night and she had still been in bed when Hope had gone to her piano lesson. Hope knocked before opening the door to her parent's bedroom.

"Mommy?"

Aurora was lying in the bed, curled up into a fetal position. She was crying. Oh no… She wasn't happy anymore. When she was sad, she stayed in bed and cried. Hope felt bad when she was sad, but it was still better than when she was angry. Silently Hope climbed onto the bed and curled up against Aurora. She wrapped her arms around Hope.

"It's okay, mommy," Hope said and gently rubbed Aurora's back.

"My darling little doll…"

"Aurora, I need to…" Lucien's voice started as he entered the room.

Hope looked at him and smiled calmingly, she could tell that he was confused.

"It's okay, daddy, I got this."

Lucien stared at Hope and Aurora for a moment before clearing his throat.

"Darling, do you want me to get Tristan here?"

"No!" Aurora snapped.

"Alright… I'll just… I'll be in the living room if you need me."

Hope kept rubbing Aurora's back until she finally fell asleep. Gently she kissed Aurora's forehead and placed a blanket over her before getting up. Lucien was standing in the hallway behind the door.

"Listen, Hope…" he started.

"It's okay, daddy," she said and touched his hand. "Mommy's going to be okay."

"Yes, I know." He paused and touched Hope's shoulder. "Have you eaten?"

She shook her head.

"Alright, let's get you something to eat then."

Hope smiled and opened her arms. She leaned her head on Lucien's shoulder as soon as he lifted her up. He always made her feel safe. Maybe her new family was strange sometimes, but they were still her family and she loved them. She only wanted them all to be happy.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

1 year later

"It doesn't fit, mommy," Hope said. She had tried to wear the dress Aurora had chosen for her, but it was too small. Aurora didn't say anything; she simply stared at Hope and the dress.

"I can wear another dress," Hope said quickly, she could tell that her mother was upset. She had become very good at interpreting Aurora's moods and often she was the only one who could calm her mother down when she was upset. Sometimes Hope was afraid of Aurora's mood swings, but she loved her mother, just like a child should.

Uncle Tristan had explained to Hope that her mother wasn't a bad person, she was ill. She loved Hope and she was trying her best. Hope needed to try her best as well. She had tried and she had even earned a smile from Uncle Tristan. Lucien had also said that he was very proud of Hope. Her father was the person she loved the most, but of course she would have never said that out loud. Spending time with him meant the world to Hope; she would have done anything for him.

"You have grown," Aurora murmured.

Hope wasn't sure what to say, she could tell that something was wrong, but she didn't know what that something was.

"I'm sorry, mommy," she said cautiously. That was usually the safe thing to say.

Aurora looked at her for a long while before kneeling in front of her. Slowly her lips curved into a smile.

"Are you mommy's little doll?" she asked while cupping Hope's face.

"Yes, mommy."

"Do you love mommy?"

"Yes."

Aurora's smile grew wider.

"You're perfect, my little darling. Perfect just like you are. Would you like to stay like this?"

Hope was confused.

"What do you mean, mommy?"

Aurora leaned closer and touched Hope's hair.

"I don't want you to change. I want you to stay as my little doll." She paused and giggled. "We could stay like this forever. Would you like that?"

Hope couldn't understand what she meant, but she nodded. She wanted her mother to be happy.

"Yes, mommy."

Aurora kissed her cheek and wrapped her arms gently around Hope.

"Mommy loves you so much. I never want to lose you."

"You won't, mommy," Hope replied and rubbed Aurora's back.

Slowly Aurora pulled away and touched Hope's cheek.

"Close your eyes, darling. This won't hurt, I promise…"

"Aurora," Lucien's tense voice said from the door.

Hope looked up and smiled.

"Hi, daddy."

"Hi, muffin. Aurora, can I have a word with you, please."

Aurora stood up and looked at Lucien.

"Lucien… I need this…"

"I think we should have this conversation somewhere else," Lucien cut in firmly.

Aurora pouted her lips and crossed her arms. Hope looked at her parents in turns, she was very distressed. This was her fault, she had done something wrong.

"Daddy…"

"It's alright, Hope," Lucien said, but he sounded tense. "Your mommy and I need to talk. That's all."

"Lucien, please just listen…" Aurora started.

"We won't do this here," Lucien said. Hope had never heard him using so firm tone of voice to Aurora, usually he always gave in. Aurora seemed surprised, she hadn't got used to being denied.

"My love…"

"Not here, Aurora. Come."

Hope was sure that they would start to fight, but they didn't. Aurora marched out, followed by Lucien.

"Stay here, muffin," Lucien said and closed the door.

Hope couldn't understand what had happened, she was scared and nervous. It didn't take long when the door opened and Uncle Tristan entered the room. He didn't say anything, he just locked the door. Hope looked at him insecurely; he seemed just as tense as Lucien.

"Alright," he stated. "You and I will stay here for a while now."

"Why?" Hope asked.

"Because your parents need to…talk."

Hope was even more scared, she didn't know what to do. Uncle Tristan was quiet for a moment before walking over to her.

"Everything is fine," he stated. "No need to worry."

Hope swallowed; she was fighting to hold back her tears.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, you didn't."

Uncle Tristan sighed and kneeled in front of Hope.

"Look… Everything is going to be fine, they just need to talk. Alright?"

Hope sniffled and looked at him. He gave her a tense smile and tapped her head.

"You haven't done anything wrong. Sometimes grownups simply need to talk."

Hope nodded gratefully and hugged him, she needed to feel safe. He tensed, but he didn't push her away.

"Yes, yes," he murmured and tapped her head again. "Everything is fine."

After that they waited. Uncle Tristan sat on the armchair and turned on the TV. He turned the volume up, but Hope could still hear Aurora shouting, glass shattering and many loud thump. Hope curled up in her bed and wrapped her arms tightly around her teddy bear. Silent tears were coursing down her cheeks, but finally she fell asleep. She woke up when someone touched her cheek.

"Hope?"

Hope opened her eyes and saw Lucien looking down at her.

"Daddy?" she murmured sleepily.

He smiled and stroked her hair.

"Hi, muffin."

She rubbed her eyes and leaned her cheek on his hand.

"Are you and mommy finished talking?"

"Yes, we are. Everything is fine now."

She nodded and got into a sitting position.

"Where's mommy?"

"She's sleeping. I brought you something to eat."

Hope looked at the plate on the nightstand.

"Thank you, daddy."

He stayed with her while she ate and allowed her to curl up against his chest. That was the safest place she knew. She sighed and allowed herself to finally relax. Everything was normal again.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

After making sure that Hope was alright, Lucien left her watching cartoons and headed to the library. Tristan was sitting on the armchair, reading some book. He didn't look up when Lucien entered the room. As unpleasant as it was for Lucien to admit it, he owed Tristan one. There was no doubt that the whole experience would have been much worse for Hope if she would have been alone.

Still Lucien had to admit that he couldn't understand why Tristan had agreed to look after Hope while he and Aurora had…talked. It had been the worst argument they have ever had. Lucien didn't consider himself in any way a good person, but he wasn't going to let Aurora to turn Hope. She was just a child for heaven's sake. A very special child. She would automatically become a vampire when she would die.

If she would die now, she would remain as a child forever. Lucien wasn't going to let that happen. Aurora hated it when he denied something from her, but he wasn't going to back down on this one. He had made it very clear to Aurora that if she would even try to turn Hope, Lucien would leave for good and take Hope with him. Finally Aurora had understood that he meant it and he wasn't going to change his mind. She hadn't taken it well.

"Thank you," Lucien stated simply.

That made Tristan to look at him.

"I didn't do it for you," Tristan replied coolly. "I did it for my sister and the girl."

Lucien raised an eyebrow. Who would have ever thought that Tristan seemed to be somewhat fond of Hope?

"It's true that we have had our differences, but I assume that neither of us wants Aurora to turn Hope," Lucien said.

Tristan pressed his lips together, he looked tense. He didn't have to say anything, it was clear that he agreed with Lucien. The whole situation was nothing but strange. Lucien had been forced to tolerate Tristan for Aurora's sake, but he had never thought that they could actually get along. Perhaps they couldn't, but right now they understood each other. There was a first time for everything.

* * *

New Orleans, 10 years later

"Klaus? Can you hear me?"

Darkness.

"Klaus?"

Hope.

"Klaus?"

Lucien.

"Klaus?"

A hand was touching his face. Klaus' eyes flew open, with a growl he grabbed the person hovering over him. Lucien. Aurora. They had killed Hope. He would kill them. His hand was squishing someone's throat.

"Kla-Klaus…"

It took a moment before he recognized the person he was strangling. Camille. She started to cough when he released her.

"I'm sorry," he murmured and slowly got into a sitting position.

Where the hell was he? This looked like the cellar of the compound. He was in some kind of bunk bed, just like his whole family.

"What happened?" he asked.

He remembered seeing Lucien biting Elijah and Kol after Aurora had bitten him and Hayley. They all should be dead, but somehow they weren't.

"Freya and Davina cast a spell," Cami replied. "They bound you all together."

Klaus saw Freya lying in one of the bunk beds.

"Why aren't they awake?"

Cami shook her head.

"I don't know. I heard you saying…something in your sleep and I came to see if…I mean, none of you have spoken in your sleep."

Klaus looked at her.

"What did I say?"

She looked uncomfortable.

"What did I say?" Klaus repeated his question.

She lowered her head before replying.

"Hope. You said Hope."

Hearing her name was like a knife in his heart. Hope… Sweet innocent Hope… Klaus' face was completely callous. His little girl was dead. Murdered. He had failed her. He hadn't been able to protect her.

"Where are Lucien and Aurora?" he asked, his voice held no emotion. "In the penthouse?"

Cami looked even more uncomfortable.

"Klaus… You have slept a long time. Almost 13 years."

"What?"

13 years? How was that possible? To him those years hadn't been more than a blink of an eye.

"Marcel, Davina, Vincent and I have kept you and your family safe. I… I'm so sorry for…"

"Do you know where Lucien is?" Klaus cut in.

She nodded.

"Yeah. He came back from Europe 10 years ago and started to build his…empire. He calls himself the king of the vampires. Aurora and Tristan are with him."

"Where is he now?"

"In New York, but…"

That was all Klaus needed to know. No more than a second later he was on his feet. Camille stepped in front of him and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Klaus, please… Just let me get Marcel and Davina here…"

He cupped her face before she managed to finish her sentence.

"Forgive me."

She didn't have time to do anything when he snapped her neck. Carefully he lifted her up into his arms and placed her on the bed. Hurting her wasn't something he had wanted to do, but it had been necessary. He wasn't going to let anyone to stop him. He would be long gone by the time she would wake up. Determinedly he zoomed out without even looking at his family. All he could think about was vengeance. New York… It didn't matter what kind of "an empire" that bastard had built. Klaus was going to find him and kill him. All of them. He would make them all pay.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Hope! Get in here right now!"

Hope swallowed, she knew that tone of voice better than well. Her mother was very upset about something. Thankfully she knew how to handle her mother; she had learned that along the years.

"I'm coming, mom!"

Quickly the placed her book on the table and hurried out of the library. Where was her mother?

"Mom?"

She was in Hope's room. Oh no… What had she found? Hope tried to hide things she didn't want her mother to see, but unfortunately it was very difficult to hide anything from Aurora. She had a habit of "inspecting" Hope's room regularly. The word "privacy" didn't include Aurora's vocabulary. Hope had got used to that in this house and she knew better than to pick a fight. Yes, her mother was beyond overprotective and old-fashioned, but Hope loved her.

Sometimes Hope still wished that her mother would understand that she wasn't a child anymore. She would be 18 after few months. At least Lucien understood that and he wasn't as strict as Aurora, except about one thing. Dating. Neither of them allowed Hope to even talk to boys. Not that Hope would have dared to do that anyway. She had never spent time with the people of her own age; she wouldn't have known what to say.

Sure she had sometimes hoped to spend time with other children when she had been a child, but now… She didn't really have much social skills; she would have probably panicked if she would suddenly have to spend time with other young people. She had no idea what they liked to do or talk about. Her life had been sheltered to say the least; the only people she usually talked to were Aurora, Lucien, Uncle Tristan and sometimes the members of their staff.

The only "boys" she spent time with were her bodyguards. They were all vampires, highly trained and experienced soldiers. Hope never left home without them. Not that she went anywhere very often. This mansion had been her home for the last 10 years. It was outside New York, but Lucien also owned few properties in the city, including a very luxurious penthouse. Sometimes Hope got to spent a whole weekend there with him. It was their father/daughter time, Hope loved it and she was always looking forward to it.

Lucien was a very busy man, but he often said that he was never too busy to spend time with his beautiful girl. Hope didn't really see herself as a beautiful girl, but hearing nice things from Lucien always made her happy. Neither Lucien nor Uncle Tristan was at home right now, they both had to travel a lot. Sometimes Aurora went with Lucien, but lately she had often stayed home. Hope couldn't help but to feel a little nervous as she entered her room. Aurora was standing in front of Hope's dresser with her back turned to the door.

"Mom?"

Slowly Aurora turned around; she was holding something in her hand. A lipstick.

"What is this?" she asked icily.

Hope swallowed.

"I…I…"

She wanted to kick herself; she should have hid the stupid thing better. She had only wanted to try it. Her mother never allowed her to put on any makeup and she chose all Hope's clothes, just like she always had. The clothes were old-fashioned, very chaste, dresses that had maybe looked cute when Hope had been a child, but she wouldn't have wanted to look like a doll anymore. That was one of the reasons why Hope enjoyed her weekends with Lucien so much; he allowed her wear whatever she wanted when they were alone. Aurora's eyes narrowed.

"Where did you get this?"

"I… I found it."

Aurora crossed her arms.

"You found it?"

"Yes," Hope murmured. "I think it's one of the maids, I just… I wanted to try it. Alone in the bathroom. That's all. No one saw me."

Aurora stared at Hope with a blank expression for a moment before speaking.

"Did you want some boy to see you?"

"No, I didn't, I swear."

Hope didn't move as Aurora marched in front of her and grabbed her chin.

"If I find out that you are lying to me…"

"I'm not, mommy, I'm not. There's no boy. I… I don't even know any boys."

Aurora leaned closer and ran her thumb over Hope's cheek.

"No filthy man will _ever_ touch my little doll."

Hope shook her head.

"No, mommy. I… I won't let them."

Aurora's lips curved into a smile, she kissed Hope's forehead before wrapping her arms around her.

"You know mommy loves you."

"Yes, mommy. I love you too."

Hope rubbed Aurora's back; she was relived to notice that her mother seemed calmer.

"You do understand I have to punish you for this?" Aurora continued after a moment of silence.

Hope nodded.

"Yes, mommy."

Usually Aurora grounded her, which meant that Hope wasn't allowed to leave her room or then she took some of Hope's personal belongings temporarily from her. Aurora pulled away and stared at Hope.

"You will go to bed without supper tonight. And you are grounded."

Hope nodded again.

"I understand, mommy. I'm sorry."

Aurora cupped Hope's face.

"You know I'm only doing these things to protect you."

"I know, mommy. Thank you."

Aurora kissed her forehead again before pulling away.

"Your father will be home tonight, you know I have to tell him about this."

"I know."

Thankfully Lucien wouldn't be angry. He would scold at Hope because that was what Aurora expected, but he wouldn't really be mad. Why would he be since he had been the one who had bought the lipstick to Hope? During their weekends he took her shopping and let her choose anything she wanted. He called her his princess. He was the most important person in her life and she loved him with all her heart. She would have done anything for him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you for all the feedback :) No, Hope doesn't remember her family and she doesn't know she's a partly werewolf and a witch.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

"Come in," Hope said as she heard a knock. It was probably one of the maids, Aurora didn't knock.

Hope was lying on her bed, looking at the ceiling. Being grounded didn't really bother her, she had got used to it and she wouldn't have minded if Lucien would have just come home last night. Unfortunately he hadn't, he needed to take care of some very important things. According to Aurora, it would take few days before he would come home. Of course Hope understood that, but she had still been very disappointed. She really missed her father; he had been gone for almost two weeks already. She sighed, but her lips curved into a smile as the door opened.

"Tristan!"

"Hello," her uncle greeted her.

Hope got up and ran over to him. He smiled as she kissed his cheek and hugged him.

"How was your trip?" Hope asked.

"It was fine," he replied.

"Well, I'm glad you're home. I've missed you."

"Thank you, that's…nice to hear," he stated.

Hope couldn't help but smile at his reserve. She loved her uncle and she knew that he loved her; he simply wasn't the kind of person who would be comfortable saying things like that out loud. Tristan had always been Hope's rock, he was calm and stable. He had also been Hope's teacher, he was very smart. Sometimes he even helped Hope with Aurora, but usually he didn't intervene too much. Hope didn't expect him to; Lucien had always taken care of that.

"So… Your mother told me you are grounded," Tristan stated after a moment of silence.

Hope sighed and nodded.

"Yeah. It was my own fault, I just wanted to…"

She wasn't sure how to finish her sentence. What had she wanted? What difference would put on a lipstick make? Tristan cleared his throat before speaking.

"Listen, Hope…. I know your mother can be a bit…overprotective. I will have a word with her; surely she agrees that you are not a small child anymore."

"I doubt that," Hope murmured. "But thank you, I appreciate your help."

"Yes…" He paused and took something out of his jacket pocket. "Here, I brought you a little something."

Hope looked at the small box and smiled warmly.

"Thank you. What's the occasion?"

He shrugged.

"No occasion, I just saw this and thought you might like it."

Curiously Hope opened the box. She gasped as she saw a white gold angel teddy bear necklace with pink diamonds. It must have cost a fortune. Hope stared at it for a moment before she was able to speak.

"Tristan… Thank you so much, this is beautiful."

She hugged him tightly, moved by his thoughtful gift.

"You're welcome," he murmured and tapped her back.

She smiled and kissed both of his cheeks.

"I love you."

"Thank you," he replied. "I… You know."

Yes, she knew and it made her happy. Her uncle really was a big softie deep down.

* * *

2 days later

Rage. Anger. Fury. Wrath. Klaus was very familiar with all of those feelings. What he was feeling now was much darker than all of those combined. There was only one single purpose for his very existence. To destroy those who had murdered his sweet innocent daughter. To rip them in pieces limb by limb and bathe in their blood. That was all that mattered to him anymore. Vengeance. Justice.

 _"I love you, daddy…"_

He wasn't able to feel pain or grief anymore. Only something darker and more monstrous than he had ever felt. There was no humanity left in him anymore. All that had been good in him had died with Hope. Yet his mind worked more efficiently than ever. He had no intention to attack in a blind rage. No, he would wait patiently for as long as he had to.

He needed to observe the enemy in order to form a plan. Right now he was standing in front of Lucien's mansion, dressed as a gardener. He had killed the real gardener after torturing him for information. Unfortunately the human hadn't known much anything. Oh well, it didn't really matter. Klaus had enjoyed torturing him.

The gardener had known one useful thing; "the master of the house" was coming home today. Aurora and Tristan were already home; Klaus had seen a glimpse of them both. There were plenty of guards and a tall fence was surrounding the premises. Apparently Lucien also had some witches working for him. None of that would save the bastard when Klaus would get his hands on him. Klaus turned his head as he heard the iron gate opening. A limousine. It stopped in front of the main entrance, someone hurried to open the passenger door.

"Welcome home, sir."

Klaus' eyes darkened when he saw Lucien getting out of the limousine. The dark rage turned his blood into ice. Kill. Kill. Kill…

"Daddy!"

A voice of a young girl. An innocent voice full of joy. She was running towards Lucien. There was a smile on her beautiful angelic face. The face Klaus immediately recognized. Oh dear God… Klaus was completely paralyzed as he watched Lucien wrapping his arms around the girl, pulling her closer. She laughed as he lifted her off the ground and spun her around in a loving embrace.

"There's my princess," Lucien hummed and gently kissed the girl's cheek.

"I've missed you so much, daddy," she replied and hugged him tightly.

"I've missed you too, Hope."

Klaus couldn't move, this was… Hope… She leaned her head on Lucien's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her waist and led her inside the mansion. Klaus' mouth floundered open and closed.

"Hope…"


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you for all the feedback. No, Hope doesn't know that she's a partly vampire and yes, she considers Lucien and Aurora her parents.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

"So," Lucien said and sat down on the armchair in Hope's room. "How is my princess?"

"I'm fine, daddy," Hope replied smiling. "Especially now when you're home."

Lucien smiled too, he had missed his girl.

"Your mother told me about the…lipstick," he stated after a moment of silence.

Hope bit her bottom lip and sat down on her bed.

"Yeah. Don't worry, I didn't tell her where I got it. She wasn't very angry."

Lucien cleared his throat.

"Listen, Hope… I think I'll have a word with your mother about… things like this. You know she loves you and she wants to protect you, but… You're not a little girl anymore. You're almost a young woman."

Hope's eyes widened, she was definitely surprised.

"Yes," Lucien continued smiling. "It's hard for me to admit it, I would want nothing more than keep you as my little girl…"

"I am your little girl," Hope cut in. "I mean… Not little, but… You'll always be my daddy."

For some reason Lucien felt a sting in his heart, he stood up and walked over to the bed. Hope stood up as well and hugged him tightly.

"I'll always love you, daddy. More than anyone else."

"I love you too, princess," he murmured and touched her hair.

For a moment he was reluctant to let go, but finally he did and gently kissed her forehead before pulling away. She smiled at him; her smile was just as warm and innocent as always. His sweet little girl…

"How long will you be home?" she asked, cutting off his thoughts.

"Not very long, I'm afraid," he replied. "But I have a surprise for you, darling."

Her face brightened.

"A surprise?"

"Yes. You and I will spend the next weekend in the penthouse, just the two of us. That is of course if you agree…"

"Are you serious?" Hope gasped.

"Yes, I am. Your mother wants to spend time with your uncle, so…"

Hope broke into a snigger before pouncing on Lucien.

"Thank you, daddy, I can't wait!"

He smiled and tapped her back.

"I'm glad I don't have to drag you with me…"

"Can we watch movies?" she asked, clearly excited. "There are few new ones I would like to watch with you."

"Chick flicks?" Lucien asked teasingly.

Hope grinned.

"Yeah, and you're going to watch them with me."

Lucien sighed and raised his hands in surrender.

"Alright, if I must…"

Hope giggled and shoved him with her elbow.

"Oh please, you love those movies more than I do."

"I certainly don't," Lucien protested.

He couldn't deny that he enjoyed seeing Hope so happy. It was true that he always spoiled her when they were alone, but he didn't care. He wanted to see his princess smiling. It was one of the best things about being a father. Hope was his daughter, he had raised her. He loved her. He would have never thought that he could love someone like he loved her.

It was selfless love; he didn't want anything in return. He simply wanted her to be safe and happy. It was strange really. He had everything he had ever wanted, he was the most powerful creature in the world, he had more wealth and power than he had ever dreamt of. And he had Aurora. Yet, what was the most precious to him was this girl. His daughter. She was the first person who had ever loved him unconditionally. To her he was the most important person in the world. He smiled warmly as he looked at her; his little muffin had become a beautiful young lady. He was a proud father.

* * *

3 days later

Hope was more than excited as she sat in a limousine. She was on her way to the penthouse; she would spend three whole days with her father. Lucien had already left yesterday, he had promised to take care of all his work things before Hope would arrive. He had promised that she would have his undivided attention.

They would go shopping, watch movies, have nice meals together and maybe go to a theater or something. Hope didn't really care what they would do; she just wanted to spend time with her father. She had her own room in the penthouse, with the closet full of clothes she had chosen herself. She could hardly wait getting changed.

Right now she was wearing an old-fashioned powder blue dress. Women had worn this kind of dresses back in the 19th century or maybe early 20th century. Aurora had the dresses custom made for Hope; she always said that she wanted her darling doll to look pretty. Sure the dresses were pretty, but Hope preferred modern clothes. She especially loved comfortable clothes, t-shirts, shorts, pajama pants, tops, hoodies and skirts.

She sighed and closed her eyes, the drive always felt very long. Her whole bodyguard team was with her, they didn't usually speak to her unless they had to. Obviously they didn't want to aggravate her parents, no one did. She opened her eyes when she felt the limousine slowing down and stopping. Three of her bodyguards were in the passenger side with her; one of them was touching his ear bud.

"What's the status? Alright, copy that." He paused and looked at Hope. "No need to worry, Miss Castle, there seems to be a problem with the car. We'll handle it."

"Oh, okay," Hope replied.

Two of the bodyguards stayed in the car with her when one of them got out. Hope leaned back on her seat and waited. Soon the two other bodyguards got out of the car. She hoped that this wouldn't take very long, she really wanted to… The door opened before she managed to finish her thought. She was just about to ask was everything alright with the car when she saw a strange man getting in. He was wearing a driver's uniform, he was staring at her.

"What…what's going on?" Hope asked cautiously.

"Hope…" he murmured.

She was a little confused; the staff members didn't usually call her by her first name.

"Yes. I'm sorry, have we met?"

His eyes widened, she backed away when he sat down beside her.

"Hope… It's me."

She swallowed; she had a very bad feeling. Where were her bodyguards?

"I'm sorry sir, but I don't know you. Please excuse me…"

She tried to get up, but he blocked her way.

"I'm leaving now, sir," she said, trying her best to sound firm. "I'm sure you don't want to do anything you would regret. Surely you know who my father is."

His face went blank, but there was something very dark in his eyes. She needed to get out.

"Hope," he said and took a hold of her arms as she tried to get past him.

"Let me go!" she shouted and struggled as hard as she could. "Help me!"

"Please stop that," he murmured tensely. "The last thing I want is for you to hurt yourself…"

"Let me go! Let me go!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't."

She continued her desperate struggling, she was terrified.

"You…you don't want to do this," she finally managed to say.

He pressed his lips together.

"You're right, I don't. But I have to. I'll never let you go again."


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm sorry for not updating sooner; I had some problems with this chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

Klaus stared at the road and tried his best to concentrate on driving, but it was very difficult. His daughter didn't know who he was. Not to mention she was scared of him. More than scared, she was terrified. He could sense her terror so clearly that it cut him like a knife. Well, she had every reason to be scared, he have had to tie her up in order to stop her from hurting herself. Now she was sitting next to him, her hands and legs tied, trembling with fear. She hadn't said a word or looked at him after he had lifted her into his car. He had compelled a human to bring it to him and get rid of the limousine.

"Hope," he said, struggling to keep his voice calm. "I'm not going to hurt you. I swear. I would _never_ hurt you."

Clearly she didn't believe him; she was staring at her tied hands.

"Please let me go then," she replied timidly.

"I'm sorry, but I can't."

She hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"If… If you want money… Please, just let me call my father, I'm sure he will…"

"I don't want money," Klaus cut in tensely.

Hope swallowed.

"Okay… I… My father…"

"Don't call him that!" Klaus snapped before he was able to stop himself.

"I-I-I'm sorry," she stuttered. "What…what would you like me to call him?"

"Anything but that," Klaus murmured.

He was aware that he should have been able to control his feelings, the last thing he wanted was to scare Hope more, but he couldn't stand hearing his little girl calling that bastard her father. Except that Hope wasn't a little girl anymore…

Suddenly Klaus truly realized that Lucien had been her father for the last 13 years. He had seen Hope growing up. She called him daddy. He had stolen all the irreplaceable moments that should have belonged to Klaus. He had stolen the joy in her eyes. He had stolen her trust and love.

The thought made Klaus so furious that he let out a growl and hit the steering wheel with his fist. Hope flinched and tried to move as far away from him as she could. A tear rolled down her cheek. Klaus regretted his outburst immediately and reached out to her, wanting to give her comfort. His hand stilled when she let out a terrified sob and tried to cover her face.

"Please don't…"

For a moment he was unable to speak. She really thought that he was going to hurt her. That was just… His mind refused to accept it. Suddenly he realized something else.

"Has Lucien hurt you?" he heard himself asking. His voice sounded foreign. "Has he been violent toward you?"

Slowly Hope lowered her arms and looked at Klaus. There was anger in her eyes.

"My daddy… Lucien would never hurt me, sir. He loves me."

Klaus gritted his teeth; he had to really struggle to control himself.

"I see. How about Aurora and Tristan? Have they hurt you?"

"That is my family you are talking about, sir," Hope replied firmly. "Why would my mom or uncle hurt me?"

Klaus needed to digest her words for few seconds before he was able to reply.

"They are not your family. None of them."

"Yes, they are," Hope argued. "And they will find me, so you really should listen to me and let me go. If you do that, I promise to make sure that they won't come after you."

"Oh, I want them to come after me," Klaus snarled, unable to stop himself. He would kill them, all three of them. They hadn't just stolen Hope from him; they had stolen her from her whole family.

"In that case, you're not very smart, sir," Hope stated.

For some incomprehensible reason, Klaus couldn't help but smile.

"Perhaps not. Could you do something for me?"

Hope looked at him cautiously.

"What?"

"Do you think you could stop calling me sir?"

"Sure… What do you want me to call you then?"

Father. Dad. Daddy.

"Klaus."

"Okay… Sure."

"Thank you."

He would have wanted nothing more than tell her everything, especially who he was, but he knew she wouldn't have believed him. A man who had just kidnapped her would say that her whole life had been a lie and he was her real father. She would think that he was crazy. He needed to handle this delicately. That was certainly easier said than done, he wasn't exactly a subtle person. Right now he had to be. For Hope.

He bit his bottom lip and observed her while driving. She most certainly wasn't a child anymore, but she didn't really look like a typical teenage girl either. Her clothes were very old-fashioned and she didn't seem to have any makeup on. Not that she needed it anyway; she was a beautiful young woman.

"Your dress looks interesting," he stated after a moment of silence.

"Thank you," Hope replied cautiously. She was tense and was still trying to keep as much distance between them as she could.

"Is it some kind of costume?"

"No, my mom likes historical clothes."

Klaus frowned.

"Your mom? What does it matter what she likes, surely she doesn't choose your clothes."

Hope pressed her lips together; a flush was rising in her cheeks.

"She does?" Klaus murmured disbelievingly. He should have known, this was Aurora they were talking about. Aurora… Suddenly it all hit him. Hope had lived with Aurora for all these years. Dear Lord… Who knew what she had been through.

"My mom loves me, she wants me to look pretty," Hope murmured.

Klaus felt a sting in his heart, his poor girl sounded like an insecure child.

"You are beautiful," he said before thinking how that sounded.

Clearly his words made her even more nervous.

"No, no, I didn't mean like that," he added quickly. "As I said, I would never hurt you."

Hope was quiet for a moment before replying.

"What do you want from me?"

"It's…complicated," he murmured. "Right now I'm asking you to believe me when I say that you're safe. No harm will come to you, I give you my word."

"Right… Where are you taking me?"

"To a safe place."

As unpleasant as it was for Klaus to admit it, he had learned one thing from Lucien. He had arranged a place that was protected from all kinds of tracking spells. No one would disturb him and Hope there. He was determined to get his daughter back.


End file.
